After a wild road trip, the Nats are back in town for a long homestand.

Let's see, the last time the Nationals played at home, they had just capped a sweep of the Mariners, surged above the .500 mark, leaving the crowd ecstatic … only to find out minutes later Jim Riggleman had resigned as manager. Yeah, things have changed a bit since then.

Davey Johnson makes his home managerial debut tonight. More significantly, the Nats will attempt to win for the first time under their new manager. They'll face another surging team in the Pirates, who are two games over .500 and send a tough right-hander to the mound tonight in Charlie Morton (though he posted a 12.27 ERA over his last three starts and had his most-recent turn in the rotation skipped due to a "tired arm").

Tom Gorzelanny, a former Pirate, starts for the Nationals. The lefty was very good last time out, holding the White Sox to one run over seven innings, albeit in a losing effort.

I'm feeling optimistic today. We currently have the best player in the National League at three of our positions, 3B, 2B and Catcher. 1B is in great shape with M. Morse. Jason Werth is due to explode with his bat. More talent is on the way. Go Nats!!!

Ladson (washingnats): I have been informed that Dan Raddison has been dismissed as first-base coach of the #Nats. Trent Jewett will replace Raddison. #MLBNow, Jim and Dan can play golf and go fishing together.

I Feel a 3 of 4 series win for us. Starting tonight. I am feeling the Nats collecting more hits tonight than they have been doing most of the time recently. 2 hours before game time and no lineup. This is what Davey was accused of in his last stop as the Dodger shipper.

Time for some insights into first and third base coaches. I know they help guys steal and tell 'em when to come ho e or to third. I know Bo has been helping us (and by "us" I mean the players) run more aggressively. Howndomwe know if we have a good one? I love everythung about Bo. I liked Radison because in between innings he always made sure a kid got any ball he held.Thanks in advance, guys.

No announcement of bring Ray Knight on board, He was the Reds' hitting coach under Davey Johnson, and I have been calling for him for over a season now.More than likely one would expect Ray Knight will soon be replaced ala' Dan Radison. You haven't been doing your homework Manassas Nats Fan. You get an "F" for this quarter:From Boz's 1996 expose on the then new Orioles manager Davey Johnson:Johnson’s general manager, Jim Bowden, was 18 years his junior, but every bit as opinionated. The pair of supposed know-it-alls got along fine, even on a limited budget. “I had no problem with Bowden,” says Johnson. “He will tell you exactly what he’s thinking on every little issue. You knew exactly where you stood. That made it easy.”Ultimately, Johnson even proved he could take an unjust firing with grace.In 1994, the Reds finished first in the strike-shortened season. To some, it was a meaningless year. To Johnson, managing a team back to first place, even by half a game, was “my greatest vindication.” Better than coming back from his beaning. Better than proving the Orioles shouldn’t have traded him.Yet, even while Johnson was concentrating on winning games, one of his coaches, Ray Knight, was gaining popularity with Schott. Long before the 1995 season, the Reds announced that Knight would be their manager for the 1996 season! Only in Schottsville. Johnson spent last year grooming the man whom some believe tunneled under him.“I’ve never been afraid to hire a coach who might end up getting my job,” Johnson says.Others have a less generous view of Knight, who’s never managed anywhere. This spring, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox was asked about Johnson’s handling of the Reds last year. Cox blew a fuse. “Ask Ray Knight. He’s got all the bleepin’ answers . . . South Georgia boy, too, I hate to say. He’s ripped Davey like hell. That’s ridiculous,” said Cox. “Every time Knight opens his mouth, he says, We’re gonna do this’ or, We’re gonna {change} that. We’re not going to be card players. We’re going to be ready to play.’Goodbye Ray it was nice havin' ya.

I have an issue with the word 'fired' right now. I mean mainly the association with this organization. McLaren was respectfully let go. What possibly happened with Dan now? Even if he was Riggs' close friend, why did he not go out McLaren's way?Anyways, we are back to pitcher hitting 9th. Whatever right now, I want this team to get out of the hitting slump and win some ballgames.

I have an issue with the word 'fired' right now.Reading between the lines FS "Radog" was Riggs enforcer. Not really competent enough to manage a ball club. Not the case with every other coach including McLaren. The ball players were surprised when Riggleman quit. They were deeply saddened when McLaren followed suit. Kind of tells you something about Riggleman's priorities.

5:45, MZ has lineup there, if you refresh.True that, Unk. It was more of a facetious comment on my part, as I doubt such staffers would be proofreading tweets, anyway.sec3, good one re. the newsreels. Cue the tinny music and rattly projector: "The home nine returns to the field today to battle the booming Bucs…"

He has consistently ranked at the top of the Eastern League in nearly every category this season. Correcting Mark Zuckerman's colleague Chase Hugh's. Brad Peacock has consistently ranked at the top in nearly every category throughout AA across every AA league. Not just the Eastern League.

I totally love everything Davey Johnson has said so far. Finally, no more late game pinch hit at bats from guys who have long storied careers of playing defense and not hitting. Go Nats! Big Homestand!

5 errors two games ago – two errors already and we are down 1-0. Bob Carpenter driving me crazy and did FP really say Gorzo made a good play as he threw the ball away on the first error. Over to Dave and Charlie as soon as I finish typing this. I still feel really really unsure about this team.Go nats!!

This will be perfect symmetry with the Nationals starting an eight game winning streak on the road in S.D with three wins. The losing streak started on the road with three loses in Anaheim and will end with eight, and the Nationals exactly 9 games below .500, just where they were when they started the win streak.

I've been mostly a Bob Carpenter fan (maybe it just dates from the time MASN-Comcast fight got straightened out and we got TV coverage for the first time in 05 or 06) but if I hear him say "serious jammage" one more time I swear I will untie my shoe and consider throwing it at the tube.

Jim Webster said… "one more time I swear I will untie my shoe and consider throwing it at the tube."You still have a tube ?? I can't it's now to big and no glass for anything bounce off of to throw anything.

I wonder if some of the comments that johnson made about some players underachieving offensively was a warning to Eckstein. I dont think he's a bad hitting coach but I'm not sure he's the right guy for this group of players. Anybody else thinks that?

I wonder if some of the comments that johnson made about some players underachieving offensively was a warning to Eckstein. I dont think he's a bad hitting coach but I'm not sure he's the right guy for this group of players. Anybody else thinks that?They were definitely aimed at the players. Johnson says "Stairs gets his first RBI, we're really celebrating that." The says, "Hondo use to say, I want a guy with a big hairy chest [who scares the bejeebers out of the opposing manager] on the bench next me." Matt Stairs the handwriting is on the wall dude.Come to think of it Johnson does quote Hondo a lot? Hmmmmmmm …. wonder if Hendo's wish is about to be granted?

Looking at those photos of Werth hanging out with Zim last night, I can't help but think of when Roy Hobbs dating Kim Basinger's character in The Natural and the disastrous hitting slump that followed. Werth is our bad luck "charm."

hahaha pathetic. Werth and Zimm just plain embarrassing. I am really starting to hate those two guys. Riggleman goes and the party starts. Ah yes we have Portis and Stubblefield on our hands here. Inmates running the asylum and down it goes. AT LEAST NIX SWUNG!!!!

Ok , confession time – so who else besides me was positive he was going to gdip or strike out? Weird game in a season of weird games. I know, we'll take the w, but, wow. How do you suppose that ump is feeling about now?

Double header tomorrow – Charlie and Dave the only option for the first game. Start praying to the baseball gods now for some holiday fireworks. Did anyone tell RZ that it's a holiday weekend? We need some offense!!!

Wow, so much strategy in the last inning!! Doubt if we will get the "ha,ha" neganon for the rest of the night but what a great win. Have to believe that actually playing Stairs in California might have helped him tonight. Also love that he kept Bernadina in the game when he made his double switch. We are back to .500, I can breath again and would just love to see a split tomorrow. We have not given up an earned run in over 18 innings. Also liked him bringing in Storen in the 9th and having Burnett warming for the 10th. He is making these guys accountable and I am pretty sure they will respond.Storen just threw 7 piches tonight so he will be available along with the rest of the pen tomorrow. By the way anon 9:47, please go back to your skins and please don't compare baseball to football or this team to that bunch – if you need a reference just listen to George Carlin may he rest in peace. and a hardy "ha, ha"to you (loser)Go Nats!!

What do you all think about the coaching changes? Do you think Radison will be the last to go? I really like Bo Porter and I hope he is not going to get fired, too. McCatty seems safe because the pitching is good, Eckstein seems to survive no matter how bad the offense is. It would probably be better for the players if things settled down now.

Great win and loved that it was Stairs with the walkoff. The guys about tore off his jersey during the dogpile after. No snarky comments here, just congrats and appreciation. Matt seemed a little verklempt in the postgame interview. I love the redemptive aspects of the game.I had P-Nats tix before the doubleheader was scheduled so I won't make it, but I would expect that it would be a good crowd.

Stairs actually looked more like 2001 Stairs there. Too bad that one has been missing this year, but looked confident tonight. Now can we get Werth un track.Will be in section 309 Row C watching tomorrow's festivities.

Minor league report:Below the AAA level, there's a strange good-news, bad-news pattern as the starting pitchers make great strides, but some key hitters regress.Bryce Harper's average has dropped to .312 — though he did steal three bases in tonight's game. At Potomac, speedster Eury Perez has slumped so badly that he's hitting .273 and he's been dropped to the bottom of the order.At AA, Derek Norris had a sparkling .371 on base percentage heading into tonight, but his batting average has dropped to an alarming .201.Meantime, other than Sammy "So-So So Far" Solis, a lot of starting pitchers are shining at the lower levels. At AA, Shairon Martis has dropped his ERA to 2.82. At Hagerstown, Robbie Ray has lowered his ERA to 1.95.On the leadoff hitter front, Lombo is still smoking at Syracuse. After 51 at bats in AAA he's hitting .431. But for those of us wondering if he could be the answer, there's a big catch. He hasn't drawn a single walk.

I've suspected this before, but watching the replays–he really DID get all of that one. And it hit halfway up the wall. Even last year, that would have been ten rows deep. Please, Matt, don't do a Lefty.

Come on guys, we all knew when Stairs came to the plate that he would hit a walk-off single of the right field wall. I mean you could just feel the crowd anticipating it.No, but seriously, well done, sir. I guess all those ABs in LA helped him get his timing or something because he's been looking sharp the last few days. But Werth, jeez man, the league has you figured out something awful. Take first pitch strike, swing second pitch ball, take third pitch strike. Seems like every AB from him.Nice to get Davey his first win at home, now we're over that hump, back to .500, and have a bunch of home games coming up which is where we seem to have feasted all season long. True doubleheader, Saturday, July 4th weekend, $2 tickets? Yes, please!!! Can't wait to wake up!

I just got home from the game.. God I hate Metro! Never again. Driving in on 7/4.Happy Stairs got the walk off.. nice to see Davey win his first 1.I think Morse and Espi are the team leaders. Which is good because they are the best players. I think Werth is hurt. Something is not right there.

MicheleS, just walk up to Capitol South. On a night like this it's a lovely walk, and you get on the Metro before the crowds that get through the Metro entrance and sort themselves out. It makes taking Metro home much easier.

MicheleS – depends on which line you need to get home but my key is dropping by Jusin's Cafe for a nice craft beer, let the crowd die, and then metro is a breeze (as long as the dreaded track work is not going on). If you do walk to Capitol South there are also two bars right across the street (see the theme developing here) as well and Cactus Cantina is usually hopping. The final option which involves a little longer walk but rewards you with wonderful dining options as well(my favorite is the milk shake at Teds Bulletin with a shot of Jamesons added) is to 8th st. and then the Eastern Market Metro Stop. These stops are much more pleasant after a win.